Halloween Hangover Memories– Linda Knight Seccaspina
In the 50s and 60s when I grew up in Cowansville, Quebec socks were darned, baths shared, kids roamed wild, and we licked the cream off the paper tops of milk bottles. As a kid, my mother and I spent the entire month of October, being excited for Halloween and costumes were planned. There was happiness in the air Halloween night with lots of “thank you,” and “please come again” as doorbells rang and the words “Trick or Treat” were heard in the air.
I don’t think in those days that we got that much candy at home so the biggest pillowcases we had came out for the anticipated haul. Our neighbourhood was full of families up and down Albert Street, so we would get apples, Tootsie Roll pops and some paper bags full of candy. Most of the kids that lived on Albert Street climbed the big hill to William Street first. Word on the street was “the best candy in town” was located there. It was the first place I ever saw treat-size chocolate bars, and you could barely move because there were so many children.
My grandmother Mary Louise Deller Knight was not like anyone else. She would have what was called: The Halloween Buffet. She had trays of marshmallow cookies and all sorts of things that parents would advise about taking these days. She would fawn her hands over the table almost like a Price is Right model to all the trick and treaters on South Street.
In 1962 I officially became a Beatnik at the age of 11. There were no official notices, no immediate black clothing; I just got up one morning and started to write bad poetry, and that was that. The primary inspiration was the fact that my father said that Jack Kerouac was a bad influence on young people, and that was enough for me.
That year my Halloween costume was a green wool mohair sweater that barely covered my derriere, thick red tights, and a red beret. Yes, I was dressed as part of the Beat Generation. As one of my friends said it was Halloween and everyone was entitled to one good scare– and I was it he said. It was that time of year that there was a great chill in the air and sometimes it rained, and other times snow challenged us. However, most of us wore a coat over our costume, but I remember never wearing a coat with that Beatnick costume. If I remember it was basically just a sweater, tights and no pants. It was definitely the costume without dignity.
High school came and it was now that part of my life where I wanted to be accepted. Unfortunately fitting in on Halloween included toilet paper, soap and shaving cream. We teepeed quite a few houses with one ply and eggs were thrown. I knew repenting later would not cure mischief, so I declined to participate after that. Thankfully nowadays, deer destroy the carved pumpkins, and eggs are hopefully being celebrated as part of a local food drive.
Nowadays kids seldom know the past joys of trick or treating we enjoyed. Along with non-flammable costumes they only accept gluten free, non GMO, and locally sourced candy. There’s no “App” for the past to portray the scary plastic costumes of witches, vampires or ghouls of days gone by.
When I was attending Cowansville High School we would get a free morning pass to attend All Saints Day services at our local churches the day after. The reality of it all was a lot of us were tired from Halloween the night before, and it was a good way to be “out of focus” for an hour or two. While the drone of the minister’s voice carried through Trinity Anglican Church, there were some of us fast asleep in the back pews.
It took a long time to go through that bag of Halloween candy. By the end of November there was nothing left except those hard taffy kisses wrapped in orange and black wax paper. I can’t remember anything like the Pumpkin Spice flavour to keep the memories of October alive. Now I hear we might even have Pumpkin Spice Xanax for your seasonal anxiety.
Once upon a time, when Halloween came it seemed a great excuse to watch horror movies and eat candy. Now, as the last leaves fall we watch Pumpkin Spice say its last goodbyes and say hello to Eggnog and Gingerbread Lattes and the latest scare fest on Netflix. Gone may be the memories of tomorrow but never stop be-leafing. Don’t forget to turn your clocks back soon– I’m actually changing mine back to when I was 11 and the era of no pants. I’ve heard your pants won’t get too tight if you don’t wear any.
ALMONTE Officials from Arnprior to Pembroke say senseless destruction is fast becoming a new valley sport. Chronic vandalism of the type seen in Almonte Halloween night is reaching epidemic proportions, especially in towns without a local police force. In Pembroke, police Sergeant Versil Young said a report and slide show is being prepared by police on the subject an attempt to graphically illustrate the thousands of dollars damage done in recent months. “We’re investigating one case where vandals broke into a house under construction. We think the damage is about $5,000. They did $1,000 to $1,500 damage to the doors of the house alone. And then they threw paint all over the stained wood exterior.” The report blames parental indifference, citing cases of tire-slashings, rocks through windows, a vehicle pushed into a river and other instances of damage to homes. Smaller towns and villages depending on the Ontario Provincial Police for protection are also experiencing sharp rises in vandalism, and extra constables are being hired on weekends in some communities. Other communities outside the Upper Ottawa Valley, however, say they have vandalism in hand. “We have a problem, but . . it is not of major proportions,” said Kemptville Mayor Harry Coulter. Vankleck Hill Mayor Aurele Fournier and Carleton Place Mayor Ted LeMistre echoed Coulter’s statements.
“Vandalism here is a very minor problem,” said LeMaistre. We have good co-operation between police and teenagers.”
Fournier said there is “really nothing serious” in Vankleek Hill, adding everyone knows everyone else and people work “for the good of the community.”
But in Almonte today the intersection of Mill and Bridge streets bears post-Halloween battlescars of 200 masked teenagers who pitched rocks, paint, bottles, pig manure and eggs at the storefronts. A bulldozer had to be used to remove what one policeman called “one hell of a mess.” “There is really nothing serious here,” saidTom Baker is considering boarding up his store next Halloween or “clobbering the kids responsible.” He has to replace two large windows and the door at his combination jewelry and florist shop.
He shakes his head in wonder at the police and parents who condoned the annual event to the extent that they watched the rampage from cars parked nearby. The conclusion of the kids interviewed in the school yard? “A great time was had by all.” Baker and his business neighbor George Charos who closes his restaurant early every Halloween and flees the neighborhood say they haven’t actually filed a complaint with the local OPP detachment Concedes Charos: “We depend on the town” for business.
According to Almonte High School vice-principal J.L. Bridge, none of the rabblerousers are his students. Bridge didn’t go near the downtown area Wednesday evening. Handing out candy to the children in his subdivision was a “beautiful experience,” he said. Several students milling around high school corridors Thursday openly admitted that although the uproar may have been “a little extravagant at least it was something to do.”
Students say everyone contributed to the event-farmers made their pig manure and chicken heads available and young people poured it into baggies so it could be hurled. For most of the yougsters interviewed, the real problem is boredom. “We don’t have a pool and we don’t have a theatre; and there is a $1 cover charge to eat at the Superior restaurant,” said one student “If we only had a bowling alley, or something …”
Jack Mundcn, who heads the OPP detachment agrees: “The municipality should be providing something else for the youth to do.” He said the best the police officers can hope to do is contain all the activity “if we dispersed the crowd it would move into the suburbs.” “They are all wearing masks. You can’t arrest them, or charge them with disturbing the peace. The law says you can only ask them their names, you can’t ask them questions unless parents or a lawyer are present Mundcn said the appointment of another police officer is imminent “but even if we had 10 cops ‘-would you get out of your car in that crowd?”‘
Your description of the town of Almonte on Halloween last was one of the examples of irresponsible journalism that leads people to lose all trust in the printed page. It may sell papers in Ottawa, but it does little credit to your paper in this Valley town. There were not 400 masked rowdies on main street! The police tell me there were 73 at most and not masked rowdies. There were no hordes of parents cheering them on to further destruction: in fact the streets were clear by 11 p.m., and the police report one of the quietest Halloweens on record.
There were some of the traditional hijinks of that particular night a bonfire in the middle of the street (carefully watched by members of our fire department), and the throwing of eggs. There was damage to four store windows, and that is certainly not acceptable but I would point out that this was all localized to one part of main street. The rest of the town was quiet, with no reported incidents.
Rev. Harry H. Brown St. Paul’s Anglican Church Almonte, Ont.
A handful of irresponsible youths managed to give Almonte an enormous black eye in the Ottawa press last week as a result of damage caused on Halloween night. The usual Halloween shenanigans such as egg throwing and the lighting of a bonfire at the corner of Mill and Bridge streets got out of hand about 11:30 Wednesday night when windows were smashed in four Mill Street businesses and paint was splattered on at least two store fronts.
A crowd of youths, estimated at its peak about 11 o’clock at 50, quickly scattered following the window breaking incidents and the scene was practically deserted when police showed up moments later. And so ended a night of Hallowe’en vandalism that was widely reported by an Ottawa newspaper and a television station. Town Clerk, Bob France even received a telephone call Thursday from a Halifax radio station inquiring about the reports of damage.
Even though the reports were blown way out of proportion, it does not diminish the seriousness of the situation. Property damage was estimated at $2,000. Windows, including plate glass were broken in Baker’s Jewellery and Flowers, the former Milady Beauty Salon next door,Morton’s Variety and the Superior Restaurant.
Baker’s and the Superior always seem to be in the line of fire and the owners are totally frustrated over the endless stream of vandalism to which they have been subjected. An 18-year-old was charged Monday with willful damage inconnection with one of the incidents, according to Almonte O.P.P. No names have been released as similar charges are pending against other persons.
All officers of the Almonte O.P.P. detachments were on duty Halloween night, along with members of the Almonte Fire Department who were called out on seven occasions to extinguish fires.
The most serious of these destroyed a barn at the farm of Clarence Timmons at Lot 27, Concession 12, Ramsay Township. Also lost in the blaze were 1200 bales of hay and disc harrows. The alarm came in about 11:20 Wednesday night. Old tires were set on fire at various points in town and firemen extinguished a blaze that was started in the front seat of an older model car parked at the back of Smithson Motor Sales on Mill Street. A wooden garbage bin, apparently removed from the back of a Mill Street building, added fuel to the tires and other refuse that created the bonfire on Mill Street.
Youths began gathering at the “pool room corner” about 7:30, as they almost always do on Hallowe’en, in anticipation of the battle of eggs, tomatoes and other missiles that get thrown at almost everything that moves in that area on Halloween.
Strangely enough, all of the damage and mess was confined to one small area. Most of the other businesses on Mill Street were left untouched. One thoughtful person even brought several bags of hog manure as ammunition this year. Much of it found its way into police cars, fire trucks and store show windows before the night was over.
The Fire Department vehicles didn’t escape unscathed. An egg striking one of the trucks removed paint and lettering from a door and an auxiliary tanker owned by Drummond Bros, and loaned to the Fire Department was bombarded, resulting in a cracked windshield. Damage was estimated at $400. Town work crews were on the job early Thursday morning cleaning up the mess.
A local teenager has been charged in connection with the vandalism that occurred in downtown Almonte last Halloween night. Charged with causing wilful damage is Steven Arthur Maynard, 18, of 132 Queen Street. Police say the charge arises out of an incident Halloween night in which paint was thrown on two Superior Restaurant windows.
In addition to the usual Halloween hijinks this year, such as egg throwing and the lighting of a bonfire at the corner of Mill and Bridge Streets, windows were smashed in four Mill Street businesses and paint was splattered on at least two store fronts. It was reported at this month’s town council meeting that it cost the town $170 to have the Hallowe’en mess, left behind by the approximately 150 young people who congregated at the pool room corner, cleaned up.
The 170 dollars does not include the cost of repairing those store fronts damaged during the Halloween madness. The damage was estimated at about $2,000. The Almonte Lion’s Club have set up a committee to look into the possibility of holding a major dance next year on Halloween night to give the teenagers something to do for excitement other than standing on the street corner. The president of the Lion’s Club, Carl Sadler, said the club would like to make it a town project involving other local groups and organizations. He said the club will need the support of the other organizations to be able to afford a good drawing band to attract the teenagers.
The spirits of Halloween roamed freely in Almonte this week, but for the most part they were the spirits of youth and goodwill. The half-anticipated destruction that took place last year, in which store windows were broken, a car burnt, and an unruly mob tyrannized Mill Street, never materialized. Apart from a few isolated incidents of soaped windows, paint splashed on cars, this Halloween was one of the quietest Almonte has seen for several years. Five members of the Ontario Provincial Police were on duty that night, with two police cars cruising the town. Corporal O ’Connor, on duty in the police station that night, did not receive any requests for assistance. Four firefighters also remained on duty at the fire station, while others also cruised the town Some incidents of vandalism were reported, however.
The window in the door of the L C B O outlet on Queen Street was broken, to the tune of about $175. Someone kicked and damaged a storage shed at Becker’s on Ottawa Street. Police said the damage, which was repairable, was not serious. The front window of the house owned by Almonte high school principal Douglas Kilpatrick was also broken, at an estimated cost o f $165. The front window of Baker’s
Jewellery store on Mill Street was also cracked. Several youths caroused around town, tossing eggs and apples, and sawdust.
A number of small bonfires were lit, and at the corner of Mill and Bridge streets, a small group lit smoke bombs made of saltpeter and sugar. Meanwhile, the community dance, featuring the rock band *Metagenesis, entertained about 350 youngsters throughout the evening at the arena hall. Sponsored by the Lions and Civitan clubs, the town o f Almonte, and the Business and Professional Association, the event was organized by high school student Cherri Campbell. It remained the centre of activity for most of the evening, breaking up finally about 2 am. November 1980
*METAGENESIS were a Canadian Hard Rock quartet formed in Arnprior, Ontario in 1971. Read more here.. click
If it had not been for the evil work of a few big goons around town it could have been said that Hallowe’en passed off Monday night with a good deal of fun and little damage. Most of those in costume, and the younger element which called at homes for treats, were well behaved but late at night the prowlers got busy and did considerable damage in widely separated parts of the town.
An ornamental iron fence mounted on a stone wall around the residential property of Mr. W. A. Jamieson was pried off and the heavy stone caps removed from gate posts there and at the home of Mr. P. W. Strickland, next door. Mr. Jamieson thinks he may have to remove the stonework of the fence altogether as the iron grillwork is broken off where it was embedded in the stone. Steps were taken from homes in several places where people could have broken their limbs if they had come out before the trick was discovered.
In the opposite end of the town from where Mr. Jamieson lives, serious property damage was done in the grounds of Mr. J. D. McCallum on Country Street. An ornamental wishing well which had been created during his father’s lifetime was demolished. It was walled up a few feet and had the usual wooden pillars, ridgero and windlass. Several people had their windows broken and one man had the glass in his porch smashed to pieces.
There were other damages, some of them bad enough, some not reported and others minor in their nature. The little folk who visited the houses in their neighborhood wore false faces and carried bags to receive apples, nuts and candy. Either they were home early or attended the usual Hallowe’en party in the town hall by the Lions Club, following a parade. Here 800 bags of candy and apples were dispensed which indicates the size of the crowd.
Some of the older boys and girls dressed up for the occasion and visited their friends, the party at the town hall and the restaurants. These costumes were really good. One worth mentioning was worn by Mr. Donald (Tubby) James and it was a masterpiece. He made rubber boots with toes pointing back and front, wore a coon coat buttoned down the back and wore two false faces facing back and front. It was hard to know in which direction he was proceeding. The trouble with Tubby was that he got to the town hall too early and the judges were a little late. The heat got him down, due to his big fur coat and he had to leave before the prizes were awarded. It is said when he removed the coat in a local restaurant he looked as if he had come out of a steam bath.
JAMES JOAN BEATRICE Peacefully at Fairview Manor, Almonte with her close friend, Joanna Scissons at her side on Thursday evening, Sept. 17, 2015. Joan Manion of Almonte, age of 88 years. Beloved wife of the late Donald “Tubby” James. Daughter of the late Mr. & Mrs. Angus J. Manion. Predeceased by one sister. Survived by a nephew & niece.
October 31, 2017 – 8:08 pm
by Brent Eades I knew that somewhere in the historic photo collection Michael Dunn was kind enough to share with me years ago there was an Almonte Halloween photo from a long time ago; and here it is. This is a detail from a larger photo, of a group of folks whose ages are hard to determine, given the grainy nature of the photo; they look young overall, though. The setting seems opulent for the time — possibly one of the mill-owner’s homes? I would put this photo somewhere on the cusp between the 19th and the 20th centuries, based on their dress and the decor of the home. There is indeed a wicked witch in the centre foreground.
Witches were once known as wise women. You couldn’t help staring. Dressed completely in black, her eyes outlined with black, a pentagram dangled from a chain, her presence demanded attention. No, this wasn’t Hollywood — it was NYC years ago when I was on a buying trip for my store in Ottawa. Standing next to me in a check-out line stood Laurie Cabot, the official witch of Salem, Mass. Admittedly disconcerted by the woman in black, I suddenly felt a twinge of fear– or was it admiration? Every Halloween we are confronted by witches. Ugly hags, powerful and evil, handmaids of the devil. Few images are so frightening; few are so completely wrong.
Until the Christianization of Europe, the Old Religion, with its goddesses and gods, marked cycles of time and fertility. Wise women – healers, midwives and counselors – practiced magic and folk arts of ancient earth-based spiritualities. Even as people converted to Christianity, they blended these old mysteries with the new beliefs. Male clerics, however, eventually redefined folk practices as Satan’s work or witchcraft In 1484, Pope Innocent sanctioned witch-hunting. Two years later, two Dominican inquisitors published the Malleus Mallefi-carum (“Hammer of Witches”) as an instruction book for zealous Christians to aid the cause.
An instant best-seller, the Malleus argued that women were more susceptible to the Devil’s wiles than men. By nature, women were feeble-minded, morally and sexually lax, inclined to lie, weak in faith, and prone to evil. Clerics and medical doctors identified women’s ancient arts – contraception, abortion, birthing, healing -as witch’s work. “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live” (Exodus 22:18). Thus armed with the Malleus and the Bible, the medieval church launched one of its most successful crusades – killing women.
One of the largest witch trials in European history started in the rural diocese of Trier in 1581, eventually reaching the city itself six years later. The motives behind this massive witch-purging were likely political. Wanting to prove his loyalty to the Jesuits, the newly-appointed Archbishop Johann von Schöneburg ordered a purge of three groups of nonconformists: Protestants, Jews and witches. Very few of those accused of witchcraft were ever released. Between 1587 and 1593, 368 of the accused from 22 villages were burned alive, almost all confessing under torture. Almost a third of the victims were nobility or held positions in the government or local administration, including judges, burgermeisters, councilors, canons and parish priests.
Although reliable numbers are difficult to discern, some scholars estimate that from the 15th to 18th centuries, approximately 2 million people were executed for witchcraft- 80 per cent of them women. During the burning times, the church terrorized women suspected of practicing the old religions. In 1585, in the Bishop of Trier, had the entire female population was murdered. Ancient beliefs died by harassment, inquisition, torture and execution. In the midst of this violence, the church – threatened by the rival female spiritual power – constructed the modern image of the witch, a misogynist image haunting our culture still.
Once, before the burning times, people revered old women, wise women – “witches” – as healers and givers of life. Now they are hags. On Halloween, some Christian women commemorate the burning times in what theologian Rosemary Ruether calls a “remembrance of the holocaust of women.” After reciting a litany of women executed as witches, participants pray, “We weep for them. We do not for get them. And as we remember them, we dedi cate ourselves to making a new world where we and our daughters can live free.”
Other women, however, have rejected traditional religion completely and embraced revitalized forms of the old ways – now referred to as wicca, god dess worship or neo-paganism. The re-emergence of witchcraft as a serious religious practice coincided with contemporary feminism. Many women believe Christianity and Judaism to be hopelessly patriarchal and, not surprisingly, violently oppressive to women. Thus, many well-educated, urban professional women have turned to the Goddess as an alternate source for spirituality According to modern witches, “the craft” is not a pact with the Devil (and not to be confused with Satanism, a separate belief.
Rather, it is a set of ritual practices aimed at healing as one connects with the universe – related to other pre-Christian beliefs found in tribal religions around the world. Halloween, or Samhain, is one of witchcraft’s most important ritual festivals. It is the witches’ New Year, the time when the veil dividing the world of the living and the dead is thin. At this time, the witches’ spiral dance celebrates death, fertility and renewal. I don’t fear witches. Rather, I fear the witch hunt – the real work of the Devil.
Pakenham Witches. —Because we are deriving very little and in some cases no butter from our travelling starved cows, many believe the cream is bewitched by a maliciously inclined man or woman, supposed to receive power from the devil. It is astonishing how many Protestants, even church members,believe as strongly in superstition than they do in the Bible. We are inclined to ask what Protestant religion is doing when superstition is cultivated to such an alarming extent, W e must be getting back near the time when the witches were burned, and perhaps in our next we can give you the gratifying news of the capture and burning of this one.–Almonte Gazette Pakenham August 6 1880 read-The White Witch of Lanark County–Having the Sight
PLEASE NOTE due to the storm this week, this display got totaled. Hopefully it will be up by Saturday
Perry, Steph and Sophia have something new this year. A Halloween extravaganza up this week. 267 Stonewood Drive, Carleton Place every night from 6-9pm (off the Beckwith 9th line)– It’s off Country Lane estates drive,,. there is no light so drive slowly and go right to the end of the road. You can’t miss it.Halloween Town comes to the area..PLEASE do not go on the GRASS.. it would be appreciated.
PM me Linda Seccaspina for anything else we should add.. Happy Halloween
october 27–If you went to 267 Stonewood Drive, Carleton Place last night to see the big Halloween display Steph said the storm yesterday and wind took its toll so according to Steph -” He’s got a lot of work out there to do!” so be patient
Downtown Carleton Place– The Downtown Carleton Place scarecrow stroll starts this sunday and goes till Halloween night !!!
The Carleton Place Recreation & Culture Department is pleased to present the 2nd annual Carleton Place Halloween Scavenger Hunt Grab a map, or online link, and travel through our Carleton Place neighbourhoods to participate in the scavenger hunt. The Carleton Place Neighbourhood Halloween Scavenger Hunt will be taking place on October 30th & 31st. Maps and links will be available starting October 29th, 2021. Interested participants can access Scavenger Hunt maps in the following ways: -Pick up a paper copy of the map outside of the Carleton Place Arena (75 Neelin St) starting Friday October 29th at 10:00am, -On the Recreation and Culture Department Facebook Page starting Friday October 29th at 10:00am, -On the Town of Carleton Place website: www.carletonplace.ca starting Friday October 29th at 10:00am Participants are reminded to remain on the sidewalk/street while participating in the Scavenger Hunt. For more information, please contact Jessica Hansen: jhansen@carletonplace.ca / 613-257-1690
Haunted House on George Street Carleton Place
A house of Zombies or Witches #TheHauntedHouseOnGeorgeSt
Take a picture with the Hocus Pocus Sanderson Sisters at Springside Hall on Lake Ave East.. Remember to #supportlocal Photo by John Rayner and Family:0
4th Annual Carleton Place Pumpkin Parade! Monday November 1st from 6:00-7:30 PM, Pumpkin Drop Off and Contest Entry 5-6 PM What are you doing the night after Halloween? Don’t throw out those pumpkins just yet! Bring your jack-o-lanterns for display to our FREE all ages event! Together we’ll light up the paths at Carleton Junction (beside Wool Growers & behind the Carleton Place Police and Fire Stations) Parking off of Lansdowne Ave. and side streets where permitted. Monday November 1st! Come out and enjoy the pumpkins of Carleton Place, in an event led by the Carleton Place & District Youth Centre staff and volunteers. ENTER YOUR PUMPKIN FOR A CHANCE TO WIN! Drop off your carved pumpkin with event organizers between 5-6pm to be judged in our Pumpkin Carving Contest! Local personalities will be judging designs at 6:30 pm with the winners being announced at 7:00 pm. LED Battery Tea Lights will be provided for your pumpkin(s). Hot chocolate and popcorn will be for sale to help raise funds for CP Youth Centre! Pumpkins will be composted after the event. Mask wearing and physical distancing encouraged. Please so kind as to wear a mask and to try to maintain distance when approaching staff and volunteers. cpyouthcentre.org https://www.facebook.com/events/1788768134657193/
PLEASE STAY SAFE!
This is from Jeff Maguire, from The Carleton Place Sister City Committee
Good Morning Everyone:
Jason Collins, president of the Franklin and Williamson County Sister City Board, arrived safely in Carleton Place this morning and Ralph Shaw loaded the 2021 Giant Pumpkin for Saturday’s Pumpkinfest in our American Sister City for the journey south. As you will see in the attached photos there has never been a better fit. It went onto the bed of Jason’s rental truck with about three inches to spare on each side. Ralph and I were amazed! We’ve never seen anything quite like it. A perfect fit!! This one isn’t orange/yellow in colour but more between brownish/green.
Ralph calls this “The COVID Pumpkin. It’s a little sick!” I love that! But in all honesty it is such a nice shape and size that the colour seems immaterial somehow. Thank you Jason for coming to Carleton Place and picking up the pumpkin. It wouldn’t have gone south without you and we appreciate you taking the time to carry out this important task. It was so nice to meet you! A bit of a “flying visit” Jason but I know you enjoyed visiting CP, briefly. Please bring your wife next time and stay longer! Safe travels tomorrow on your long drive back to Tennessee from the Thousand Islands.
Thanks Ralph for all your efforts in securing and managing another real beauty. Awesome Ralph! Thank you are well to our members Nancy Code-Miller (vice-chair) and Kathy Maguire for taking part today in the rain and cold. NOT a nice day here, to say the least! It was much warmer for all of us in the restaurant at lunch. Thank you as well to Amanda Charania, Joanne Henderson and the Town of Carleton Place for all of the nice souvenir items they were good enough to provide for our special guest Jason today.
Good to see you this afternoon at the Chamber office Jackie. Sorry we missed you at the Town Hall Doug. But Jason has left you a little something courtesy of Mayor Moore in Franklin. To Jackie and Kate Murray at the BIA, I’m sorry the pumpkin couldn’t be displayed downtown this year but getting it to Franklin was our first priority this time after the lost year in 2020 due to COVID. To our Franklin friends, we are now looking forward to hearing how Pumpkinfest goes on Saturday. Wish we could be there! Maybe next year? (Send photos please!)
BEST WISHES,Jeff Maguire,Chair,The Carleton Place Sister City Committee
Today, a certified ghost story, one of the hair-raising creepy, sort, and told by Mr. John Boyd, who lived just south of Carlsbad Springs. Mr. Boyd lives in Gloucester, but the story concerns the township of Nepean opposite Black Rapids. The chief actor in this exciting story was Mr. Boyd’s father, a north of Ireland man, who came to Canada in the 1830s, and settled near Black Rapids on the Gloucester side of the river.
In the1850s there began to sift into Gloucester strange stories about a ghost that was being frequently seen across the river in Nepean, on a vacant farm on the edge of what was known as the “drowned lands”. The stories grew clearer and more circumstantial. Many persons were seeing the ghost, or whatever it was.
One night at the Boyd home representatives of the Padgett, Davidson, Mulligan, Nash, Stratford and Collins families discussed the supposed ghost, and came to the conclusion that the matter should be investigated. Alex Boyd volunteered to do the investigating. It was winter at the time. The next night, being full moonlight, Mr. Boyd decided to make the trip, and make it alone, so that the ghost would not be scared away by too many people. Mr. John Boyd says his father after getting across the river into Nepean went to the home of Allck Mulligan. It was near Mr. Mulligan’s that the vacant farm was and besides Mr. Mulligan was stated to have frequently seen the apparition.
When Mr. Boyd arrived at the home of Mr. Mulligan, Mr. M. confirmed the statement that he had often seen the apparition. He showed Mr. Boyd the spot where the ghost was always seen at aspot near the edge of a marsh. He, however, advised Mr. Boyd not to go alone. One could never tell what might happen. Mr. Boyd said that he was not afraid and that he came alone by choice. Leaving Mr. Mulligan’s comfortable fireside, Mr. Boyd started alone for the deserted farm, and took up a position at a point near the line of the spectre’s regular progress.
He waited with an afterwards admitted nervousness. Shortly after 12.00 (midnight) Mr. Boyd became aware of the approach of a white spectral object. He could observe the form of a man, but there were no features, and the limbs were not clearly defined. But the object moved. It sort of glided along. There was no sound of crunching snow, nothing, but a deadly silence an uncanny silence. Mr. Boyd’s hair began to literally rise on his head. But he fought back the fear that began to assail him.
He had felt himself in the presence of something supernatural. As the white indefinite object drew near Alex Boyd steeled his nerves. He aeciaea to speak to tne tning. ae in a often heard in Ireland that if one spoke to a ghost, it would be set at liberty from its wanderings. As the spectre came within 50 feet the Gloucester man called out: “Who are you and what do you want?” There was no response. When the ghost was nearly opposite him, Mr. Boyd again called out: “Speak, what troubles you?” Again no answer, but the apparition glided slowly by.
Archives of Ontario Lock, Dam, &c at the Black Rapids – Men pumping Water out of the Lock, to hang the Gates &c, 1830
By this time Alex Boyd was fully convinced that he was talking to a ghost. Cold perspiration broke out over him. He decided, however, to follow the apparition in the hope that it would lead him to the source of Its trouble. The ghost kept on its course, skirting the marsh and heading towards the river, the direction in which Mr. Boyd would have to go to get home. The pace of the ghost accelerated, but the man managed to keep up with it, plowing through deep snow and climbing over obstacles. He noticed that there were no marks on the snow where the ghost moved. He knew then that the thing he followed was supernatural.
In due time the apparition cane to the Rideau River. It descended the bank, and went out onto the snow, covering the river. As Mr. Boyd got to the top of the bank, he saw the appartion go into thin nothingness and just disappear. Mr. Boyd went home that night full of wonder as to what it was an about. Had there been a murder committed on the vacant farm or had some former occupant of the farm been drowned In the river? Later other people from both sides of the river saw the appartion,, but Alex Boyd did not have any desire for a further sight of it. He agreed with Mr. Allck Mulligan that ghosts were good things to leave alone.
From Lost Ottawa
Kris GibbsMy father was the Lockmaster at Black Rapids for the better part of a decade. If memory serves me, it was from the early to late 90s.
Jimmie EllacottWhere I learned to swim in the 50s with my sister Bev.
Eileen MahoneyI remember going there a lot with my parents so my Dad could put his boat in
February 9, 2018 · This undated photo of Black Rapids shows the ‘beach’ area in the lower right, with the boat tie up jetty beside it. The beach, in my experience, has very little sand and is grass right to the water, and the water is more swampy than beachy. The weir and chute are on the left in this image, and there is no beach there.
Above the dam is also without beach, but there’s a nice grassy picnic area — on my experience it’s that picnic ground that is the attraction.
David Delaneyused to go fishing there as a kid , while dad sat in the lockmasters house sharing a bottle with the lockmaster , remember an incident when a muskie pulled a little kid off the dock into the river
Margaret McNarryLoved Black Rapids! Mom and Dad would take us there for picnics and swimming. I learned to swim there. My youngest brother was always looking for the “Rabbits”!
Brian NortonRipped bathing suits sliding down that weir.
Betty PilbrowSpent so much time at Black Rapids in the early 50s. As soon as Dad got home from work we’d pack up the car with our coolers, blankets and everything else beach related! We three girls would jump off the locks when Mom and Dad weren’t looking…so much fun
Micheal KostenukIn the early 60s, my friends and I would bike there in the summers from City View. Loved Black Rapids, especially the side with the little dam/falls that we’d slide down.
The dwelling at the end of the lane has almost been forgotten in time.The fog dances along the walls and seeps through the hardwood floors. There is a small but tidy yard, but the owner’s preoccupation is with his home. He believes the house is haunted. The visitor sets up a video camera at the end of the hallway and places a digital audio recorder on a ledge near the kitchen. Finally, he brings out a device called a Mel Meter, an instrument that measures electromagnetic fields and temperature. These are the tools of a ghost hunter, he says and he is ready to document the disembodied eerie voices.
There are many moving lights and strange floating orbs and none of it can be explained. You have to be open to believing, but you also have to be skeptical as well. You can believe almost anything you want to, but this paranormal investigation is hoping to provide the evidence the owner needs. But are all these noises and sightings real? Who knows, they both say.
The duo started off by visiting the local cemetery down the road, where they say they caught something on tape. The investigator was walking by himself when his camera, but not his digital recorder, picked up a strange voice. It was really weird because the sound of it was really strong, and it was one of the first pieces of evidence that was captured.
Which brings us to the alleged haunted dwelling down the lane. The duo began by moving throughout the house. The owner, who had been renovating the property, says several of his tenants have complained of ghostly activities. One claimed she witnessed her child’s toys moving on their own. She left after a few weeks and wouldn’t stay the night, she admited, claiming she has seen various items fall over by themselves.
Next they turn off the lights and move from room to room. “If you are here, knock like this”, the investigator booms, pounding his fist on the drywall. The answering silence is both a relief and a disappointment. The Mel-Meter tells a different story. The device seems to have picked up a spike of energy. The lights blink on and off wildly before subsiding. When asked what it means, the investigator shrugs as the Mel-Meter isnt an exact science, but for those who are willing to believe, it does make for a creepy encounter.
The Mel-Meter
Next, a Ghost-box, a device that uses radio waves to talk to ghosts. The box sweeps through radio stations at a tenth of a second, he says. The idea is that it may pick up voices and not of the living. After an hour, the Ghostbox hasn’t spoken and the Mel-Meter is no longer registering any energy spikes. The night doesnt feel like a complete loss. The investigator and the owner of the house have hours of video footage to review. You’re lucky to catch what you catch, the investigator says. Ghost hunting is a lot like fishing. You can use the same lures and never catch a thing.
“Only certain ghosts will talk through a Spirit Box when asked a question with your voice. Make sure the lights are off.”
I do not talk about COVID 19 much. It’s not that I don’t want to, but we are saturated with important information that needs to be respected. Yes, I do answer private PM questions, especially from seniors, and if you need any information I will happily supply you with what I know from our daily town updates and our local health unit.
Photo Kory Earle– making our seniors smile
But, I try to keep you smiling with my Facebook pages as I feel it is so important. My main concern in all this is that we have to get through this together as we just can’t prophecy what is going to happen next.
Linda’s daily funny ads from the past
I think this Halloween has reaffirmed my thoughts that we are coping but— what really is coming out of all of this is that our families and community are working together. Personally, I believe this is an important lesson we needed to be reminded of.
Last year there would have been parties and all sorts of social events. This year, it was all about families and communities working to keep every one safe. Everyone was doing their thing and very concerned that the children should not lose everything.
Mayor Doug Black making sure our newcomers to Carleton Place are having a good time and answering any questions they might have #community
Carleton Place Recreation & Culture did a super job organizing the Halloween Scavenger Hunt and our downtown BIA brought back the scarecrow displays that used to haunt our Bridge Street during the Halloween season. Even the towns folks came up with amazing ideas to celebrate.
Photo Kristen Hesse — Tailgating Halloween Trunk or Treat at Riverside Park (The kids had a blast visiting family and trunk or treating with friends/classmates was a hit!)Town of Carleton Place Scavenger HuntPhoto Sarah Cavanagh
People posted photos galore of families, their kids just having a great time safely. I woke up this morning with a smile. We got through this together, and in reality we didn’t miss a thing. What I think we are learning from Covid is : You can try and take our spirit away and hit us as hard as you can, but we in reality we will keep fighting until this is over because— everything we need to fight is at here at home: family, and our community.
We are finally appreciating the little things now, and that is what matters. I have never loved or appreciated my community more. We stand together Carleton Place and remember to #supportlocal. I think these residents of Carleton Place said it best on the Downtown Carleton Place Facebook page:
Harold John Keller The scarecrows show the great creativity of the people of CP! 👍👍
Jessica Jürgenliemk Thanks so much for putting this together. It’s not only COVID friendly, but a really nice way for adults to feel festive and get outside if they have no kiddos to bring that silly excited magic into their season. Me and the boyfriend had a great reconnect time together this morning following the scavenger questions. Great for local businesses too… Hope this can continue in future years. ❤
Thanks Jessica: Exactly how I feel.. We are all working together as a community. Nothing can be better than that,.:)
Come on in Saturday (and tomorrow) to our shop at 5 Allan Street, Carleton Place and get your Halloween treats! Saturday, there will be treat bags given out for the kids, a ‘worm’ guessing contest, and as a ‘Name our Scarecrow’ contest! Prizes will be given 😁Carleton Place & District Chamber of Commerce
A little girl who was who was celebrating Halloween last night probably owes her life from the prompt action of the clerk of the Carleton Place C.P.R. office. The child’s paper Halloween costume caught on fire from a Jack o Lantern with a candle in it which one of her friend’s was carrying. Passing by station while trick or treating the clerk saw the girl’s dress blazing and quickly tore it off before she was burned. He took her to the train station and called her parents asking to bring her another costume. November 1 1928, Carleton Place Herald
AUTHORS NOTE? What??? Really?
1928
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One consistent news story from during the mind-20th-century rise in popularity of Halloween costumes is the safety aspect. Several deaths occurred due to costumes catching fire, whether by matches or candles in pumpkins, as the cheap synthetic fabrics of the masks and garments were highly flammable. Other warnings regarding the restricted vision of face masks were repeated year after year, with face paint being seeing as the far safer option, along with repeated suggestions to replace candles in pumpkins with a flashlight.
Costumes and some clothes made out of paper and some gauze, combined with candles and gaslight in a world before electricity, led to a multitude of children and women being taken by the flame. Matthews David wrote that in 1860, British medical journal, the Lancet estimated that 3,000 women in one year died by fire.
The most vulnerable to death by fire may have been ballet dancers, who often wore tarlatan and gauze costumes and who danced close to gaslight every time they were on stage. It wasn’t just the fabric, but also the shape of the dresses that caused women’s clothing to erupt in flames– like hoop underskirts.. they became a ‘ring of fire”.
The only commercial costumes available in the early 20th century were paper masks or aprons for children. The goal wasn’t necessarily to look like a ghost or a goblin, but to look creepy and hide the identity of the person beneath the mask. Disguises were especially important for kids and teens, who often spent Halloween night playing tricks by throwing flour at people, stealing neighbours’ fences or even stealing dead bodies.
I had many people send me this and ask me if this is real. The answer is NO NO NO–They never read the last sentence LOLOL
DID YOU KNOW…. That the Horror Film Character Freddy Kruger was based on a real life serial killer who lived in Almonte, Ontario in the 1800s. According to court county records of the time, Mr. Kruger was known to have killed at least twenty children within a three mile radius of where he lived. He reportedly murdered most of the children using only a Gardening claw. He had an old abandoned logging factory north of Ottawa where he would bring his victims.
Having set up a small living space (and torture area) within the “mechanical room” of the facility. Oh yeah…back then, a “mechanical room” was also known as a “boiler room”. Mr. Kruger was eventually caught by his own recourse by accidentally starting a fire in a portion of the factory where he burned over 70% of his body.
While in the hospital recovering, Police investigated and he was arrested after they found his room of horrors. He was tried, but found to be criminally insane and spent the rest of his life in a Psychiatric Hospital in Ottawa, Ontario before dying in his sleep at the old age of 72. But shortly after his death a string of unexpected deaths occurred in Almonte involving young teenagers and children while they were sleeping in their beds. Before they died a few parents said their children would wake up in the middle of the night from the night terrors to what they called a burned and scary old man with a claw was trying to kill them. They refused to go back to sleep….we now know why….
To this day (and LONG before the Elm St. films) this story circulates every Halloween, and every Halloween someone asks me if it’s true. Actually, I just found this picture and made all this up…….shared, so share away…..
#TheHauntedHouseOnGeorgeSt
lindaseccaspina 